TheSociety of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy (Polish:Związek Bojowników o Wolność i Demokrację,ZBoWiD) was an officialPolish state-controlled veterans association in thePeople's Republic of Poland. Initially headed byFranciszek Jóźwiak, it was formed on September 2, 1949 out of 11 pre-existing veterans associations. In its early period, and especially during theStalinist years, the organization was formed mostly of former veterans of the Soviet-sponsoredPolish People's Army, communist partisans and formerconcentration camp inmates. However, with the advent of a partial political thaw in the 1960s it also started accepting the veterans of other Polish formations that had fought inWorld War II.
Directly subordinate tothe party, the society held an important place within the Polish governmental structure: it was the only authority certifying veterans' and combatants' rights and privileges in Poland. In 1970 the ZBoWiD had roughly 330,000 members, in 1986 almost 800,000. Among its leaders wereMieczysław Moczar andWłodzimierz Sokorski.
In April 1990, ZBoWiD was reformed into theZwiązek Kombatantów RP i Byłych Więźniów Politycznych (Society of Veterans of the Republic of Poland and Former Political Prisoners) for members of all Polish military formations including partisan, self-defence units, and thePolish Underground State.
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